CUST104: Business Communications

1.3: The Two Modes of Communication

• P. Wynn Norman's adaptation of Steven R. Van Hook's "Verbal and Nonverbal Communication" Page

  This article emphasizes the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication in customer service. You will revisit this topic and resource in Unit 5 when we connect visual communication to nonverbal communication in the customer service environment.
  

• 1.3.1: Verbal Communication

  • Working in the Food Service Industry: "Workplace Communication and Teamwork: Strategies for Effective Communication" Page

    This chapter focuses on customer service in the food industry, where communication is an integral part of a restaurant's success. Consider the elements noted in the chapter from the viewpoint of both a restaurant worker and a customer. At the end of the chapter, you will find tips for how to be a better worker. Think about how you can apply these concepts in any professional field.

  • Using Positive Verbal Communication Activity File

    Using the information you learned in the previous resources, download and complete this worksheet with appropriate alternative phrases. This activity will help you connect the verbal examples of positive and negative communication covered in the readings with statements you might use in actual customer service exchanges. When you have finished, you may check your responses against this answer key.

• 1.3.2: Nonverbal Communication

  • Business Communication for Success: "11.2: Types of Nonverbal Communication" URL

    This section describes in depth the many types of nonverbal communication contexts you may encounter. As a result, it will increase your awareness of the prevalence of this form of communication. At the end of the reading, respond to questions 3, 4, and 5 in the exercise section to recognize how nonverbal communication affects your own communication effectiveness. You will revisit this subject in Unit 6 when we examine the impact of visual communication on customer service.
  • University Libraries of Penn State University: "Nonverbal Communication" Page

    Watch this video to learn how people you are communicating with may interpret your body language through common postures and movements, called cues. Consider how small changes can impact the ways in which you are viewed by others.